WW2 Barbarossa To Berlin - solo play

Got BTB onto table for a solo session, such a fun game which always scratches a strategic itch for me and is one of my favourite CDG and Ted Racier games.

Germans conducted decent Op Barbarossa and took Leningrad with OP Nordlicht but failed with Op Taifun to take Moscow and the first Winter turn was awful for them (Panzers count as Infantry, all combats effected and everyone in Limited Supply !).

Russian strength building fast through reinforcement and replacements and British being very annoying in North Africa destroying Afrika Korps and thumping Italians with Desert Army.

I only played up until USA entered war in mid 1942 but good stuff (must try this via Pbem as limited interrupt type cards)

A comment of mine on game that was included on late lamented Roger MacGowans C3i page back in 2013 !!!

Lock N Load: Band Of Heroes first outing (and other stuff)

Managed to get couple of hours free today to put this EBay purchase on table and have a go at a small scenario solo.
This is the initial edition produced by Matrix Games with the much denigated 'haloed' maps.
I dont mind the halos but confess not sure of the point of them over standard outlines ? I know new editions have lost the halos. Counters are very nice and are big (especially AFVs).
Game system is rather good too much less complex than SL/ASL but maybe a tad more intricate than CC:E.
Hexes are activated individually (unless adjacent to a leader) and alternately between players which gives a nice interaction.
Combat is pretty straight forward with attacker and defender rolling D6 each.
Depending on if and by how much an attack exceeds defenders morale this yields varoed results from morale checks to casualties to eliminated. AFV and Ordinance combat is similar requiring usual 'to hit' roll in addition.
The game comes with a heap of scenarios and several small geomorphic style map boards.
Initial impressions are good although I still think CC:E (especially as Stalingrad Pack arrived today !!) will be game of choice for awhile yet.
But this does include AFVs/Panzers/Bazookas etc so that is a very big bonus.

As stated above this arrived today and jolly good it looks too with some interesting scenarios and maps and one or two new rules (sewers, rubble, factories and suchlike).
Looking forward to getting into this.

Also accomanying this was my first ever issue of C3i Magazine (in house magazine of GMT) an older issue with some CC:E content. Have not had time to peruse it much but looks good and gives me that same meaty content feeling that the Avalon Hill (RIP) General always did.

Couple new games arrive or arriving........and Infamy

A couple of new games arrived at Steiners Bunker but sadly absolutely no time to spend with them so far due to ongoing duty commitments.
Hope to get a look at them later all being well.



Jours-De-Gloire Campagne IV: Allemagne 1813 de Lutzen a Leipzig
Bit of a mouth full but a game from French (really !?) company Hexasim, publishers of Vae Victis magazine.
This is a boxed game covering 1813 campaign from battles of Lutzen to Leipzig (again really !?) an extension apparently of several magazine type games using this Days of Glory system.
My first game from Hexasim (I also like look of their Liberty Roads WWII game).
First blush (all I have time for) is very nice counters decent point to point map and nice but flimsy cards.
Rule book not too thick and nicely presented and thankfully in English despite my obvious command of French :-)
A period I am very interested in (my Prussian miniatures based around the 1813/14 period).
I got this one of a chap in Scotland via BGG and its in mint condition.





Next up Combat Commander: Mediterranean as promised (to myself anyhow).
Cunningly it looks to be more of same as Europe version (indeed I believe it's essentially the 'second half' of initial system release).
Lots of counters to punch and clip (neighbours must think I have toughest toenails in Christendom !!) several new maps and card decks.
Includes British French and Italians with the latter two also doubling for various Allied and Axis 'minor' nations.
This one I got new from Hexasim site as the Euro cost including postage was several pounds cheaper than UK supplier costs.
I confess I was as site looking at Liberty Roads and got pleasantly waylaid.........
I also found myself clipping a few counters a 0200hrs after finishing a shift !!

Also inbound from US0fA I have Fast Action Battles: The Bulge a GMT block and area style game I have had a hankering for ((there must be some form of medication to subdue this !?) but which has been out of stock in UK

Of course none of this helps reduce my lead mountain (cardboard mountain fast gaining height) but what the hell eh !!!???

"Infamy, infamy they've all got it in for me"

And so on a related note my notoriety has scaled new heights with one of my Blog entries re Combat Commander: Europe being linked/referenced (or maybe it was a warning against ?) by none other than than C3i OPs site (in house magazine site of GMT run by Rodger B MacGowan an artist whose box art adorns so many of my games).
Have not seen the huge royalties cheque as yet but doubtless it is in the post :-)

http://www.c3iopscenter.com/currentops/ and specifically http://www.c3iopscenter.com/currentops/?p=22499 refer.